Hat shrinking machine



March 29, 1960 H. L. KIRBY HAT SHRINKING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 4, 1957 INVENTOR Henry L. Kl'rb BY I ATTORNEY H. L. KIRBY HAT SHRINKING MACHINE March 29, 1960 Filed June 4, 1957 EL E mull" llll- 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Heny L. Pf/ b y BY ATTORNEY March 29, 1960 H. KIRBY HAT SHRINKING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June. 4, 1957 I 3 INVENTOR Hen1:yL. hl rbj BY/ ATTORNEY March 29, 1960 H. KIRBY HAT SHRINKING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 4, 1957 INVENTORV Henry L. hz rb v ATTORNEY March 29, 1960 H. L. KIRBY HAT SHRINKING MACHINE 6 Sheets-$heet 5 Filed June 4, 1957 INVENTOR Henry L. /1/ rb y March 29, 1960 H. KIRBY HAT SHRINKING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed June 4, 1957 INVENTOR Hen? L. kl rb m $9 m 1 E .53.. o. u m

m. 05+ eta. 250+ HAT SHRINKING MACHINE Henry L. Kirby, Upper Darby, Pa., assignor to John B. Stetson Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application .iune 4, 1957, Serial No. 663,390

12 illaims. (Cl. 28-8) This invention relates to a shrinking and sizing machine for shrinking and sizing and felting hat bodies and the like.

After a felt hat has been blown upon the forming cone, it may be dipped into scalding water and then given a preliminary manipulation or otherwise treated to harden it sutficiently for safe handling. The hats in this early form of manufacture are referred to as bats and the blowing and shrinking of the bats are carried onin the back shop. The bats are very tender and easily injured and the more generally used machines and processes include first the placing of several of the bats superimposed in a cloth such as burlap, flannel or other material and rolling them by hand into a roll or bundle and in some plants these bundles, while saturated, have been rolled and worked by hand to toughen the bat and in others machinery has been used to carry on the toughening and shrinking process. The bundles are then unrolled and the bats re-arranged in them and again rolled up and a further treatment given them. This process is repeated a number of times until the bats attain the desired size for further treatment.

When these felting operations are carried on by machinery, although the same machine may be used for reducing the size of the bat through separate stages by various adjustments, it has been found more practical to use diiierent machines with different formations on the rolls between which the bundles of bats are rotated to effect the shrinking and sizing. Also the initial sizing operations must be carried on fairly gently in order not to injure thebats but after the bats have become somewhat integrated they can withstand the harder treatment of greater pressure which is usually applied in order to speed up the shrinking and felting process.

The construction of theinvention shown in the Patent No. 2,892,242 dated June 30, 1959, is preferably intended for shrinking the bats in their earlier stages. The construction of the instant application is intended to work harder upon the bats to shrink and size them more quickly.

The objects of the instant invention are to render the felting and sizing operation more automatic, to relieve the operator of the continued necessityof manipulating the machine, to enable the opreator to change the pressure used in working the bats and to make it possible to vary the timing of the shrinking and sizing operations for which the machine may be set.

Since the pressure applied by the roller to the bundle of bats is considerable, the removal of bundles from States Patent 6 between the rollers automatically and without stopping them more than is essential, is among the objects of the;

instant invention. It is desirable both for the prolongation of the life of the machine and for the continued smoothness of its operation, that the machine operate as continuously as possible and for this reason it is one of the objects of the invention to stop only one of the three sizing rolls, leaving the other two continuously operating after the machine is started for the days work. The

ice

stopping of this one roll ejects the bundle of bats from between the rolls.

Another object of theinvention is to so time the actuation of the roll stopping means as to give each bundle of bats a pre-determined amount of working or sizing, and to vary this timing depending upon the type of fur used in making the bats, and the various other factors that determine the desired timing of the rolling or working for each operation of the instant invention.

Another object of the instant invention is todo away with all separate ejecting means and all reciprocating means which sometimes cause difiiculty'in operation;

in ejecting the bundle from between the rolls.

Other objects and avantages of the invention will be apparent as the description proceeds and from the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof and in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the felter of the instant invention, with the front panel of thehousing' removed.

Figure 2 is a side elevational v iew from the rgiht in Figure 1 with the housing door open.

Figure 3 is a similar view from the left'of the machine. Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view through the top portion of the machine.

Figure 5 is a continuation of the sectional view of Figure 4 to the left.

Figure 6 is a front elevational view of the machine on v a reduced scale showing the front housing closed and with the opening for the admission and ejection of bundles of bats.

Figure 7 is a side elevational view of the machine shown in Figure 6 from the right showing the work plat- The sizing machine 1 has a front panel 2 which is shown removed in Figure 1 and right and left side doors 3 and 4 shown open in Figures 2 and 3. In front of the machine is a work table 5 at which the workman stands to roll bats into bundles 6 for placing between the rolls 7, 8 and 9 to squeeze and work the bats to size and felt them smaller and tougher. The workman has a tank 10 in which he may cool his hands because hot water is used in thesizing and in addition, is directed upon the bats in spray form from pipe 11 from the back of the machine during the working of the bats between the rolls. -Water for the spray is admitted to the machine through pipe 12. The working chamber for the rolls has baflles 13 which drain to pan 14 into outlet hose 15. The

drain from the work table 5 opens to the pan 14 as at 15' and the machine is provided with guard 16 to prevent any bundles of bats from following around roll 8 or rolling from the table 5. A hood 17 is placed over i the machine to draw vapors from the machine.

The supporting working rolls 8 and 9 are preferably made of metal equipped with fiber lags 18 longitudinally staggered around the circumference of the two rolls. The pressure roll 7 is preferably made .of wood and has stapled guard to protect the bundle. I

Roll 8 is mounted on shaft 21 and roll 9 onshaft 22 in bearings in the sides 23 and 24 of the machine. 011

2,930,101 Patented Mar. 29, 19 60 bearingson plates 25 and 26to beadjusted backand forth in the machine to vary the pressure-of the pressure roll on"-the bundles resting'upon rolls 8 and 9.- These plates 25 and 26 are joined at the topby a ribbed beam 29 connected to the plates by screws 30. The ribbed beam has adjacent its center a bracket 31 having bearings- 32 therein for threaded trunnion 33 through which shaft 34 is screwed and this shaft 34- has collars 35 pinned thereon, the shaft passing through atrunnioned bearing- 36 mounted on T beam 37 extending between the two sides' of the machine; Similar but rectangular beams 38,

39 'and' 40 completethe support of thesides 23 and 24 of the top of the machine: Shaft 34 has thereon hand wheel 41, theturning'of which varies the-pressure of the-pressure' roll and the shaft may be locked in-adjusted POSi: tion by the pin42 passing through the shaft and the bearing 36.- Shaft 22 is constantly driven through chain 43 by motor 44 through speed reducer 45. Shaft 21 is constantly driven from shaft 22 at the other end by chain 46 connected to shafts 21 and 22 through sprockets. Chain 46 has a chain tightener 47 bearing thereagainst. Shaft 27 is driven'through sprockets by chain 48 from shaft 22. The chain tightener 49 bears on the chain 48 andis mounted on the hub 50 of thebearing for shaft 27 on the plate 25. The sprocket on the shaft 27 drivenby chain 48 may be connected with shaft 27 by-means-of electric clutch 51 and on theother end of shaft 27 is mountedan electric brake 52 for the quick stopping'of' The light source passes a beam diagonally across the space to be occupied by a bundle when in rolling position between i the rolls.

As shown by the driving connections and by the arrows in Figure 4 all three rolls rotate in a common direction. The lower front roll has its top surface rolling outwardly toward the front of the machine. Rolls 7 and 8 are driven at such relativesurface speeds as to cause a bundle of bats when thrown between these two rolls to be drawn between them and to ride down to the driven roll 9 upon which the bundle bears for its working by the lags on that roll." When' a bundle of bats is thrown between the pressure-roll 7 and the front supporting roll 8 the beam of light is interrupted, which starts a timer in the control cabinetSS which may be set for any desired period of operationfor therolling action. At the end of this period the electric clutch and the electric brake are operated by the timer and the pressure roll 7 suddenly stopped but with the roll 8 continuing to operate with the .lags thereon, the bundle of bats is pressed against the pressure roll androlled out from between the rolls and up over thecrest of the front roll 8 and from the machine automatically without any further action than the quick stopat-night he depresses thestop button 57. Otherwise themachinetoperates 'continuously andif for some reason it stops automaticallythen the reset button-SSmay be depressed to resume operation of the machiner 'ILw ill-be' apparent that many modifications-.may'be' made in precise details of tlie machine above described without :departing from the invention.

What is claimed as new and is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a machine for sizing hat bats and the like comprising a plurality of spaced substantially parallel rolls between which bundles of bats are adapted to be supported and rolled, two of said rolls being spaced for the admission between and the ejection of bundles from the rolls, means to constantly rotate one of said two rolls in a direction to remove a bundle from the rolls and means to stop the rotation of the other of said two rolls while inbearing position on the bundle.

2. The machine of claim 1 including peripherally tpaced projections on the constantly rotated roll.

3. In a machine for sizing hat bats and the like comprising a plurality of spaced substantially parallel rolls between which bundles of bats are adapted to be supported and rolled, a pair of said rolls being spaced for the admission between and the ejection of bundles from therolls, means to rotate said pair of rolls in the same direction at'relative speeds to retain a bundle therebetween and means to stop the rotation of the roll of said pair. which moves the bundle to its position between the pair of rolls.

4. 111a machine for sizing hat bats and the like com.- prising a plurality of spaced substantially parallel rolls between which bundles; of bats are adapted to be supported and rolled, a. pair of said rolls being spaced for 5'. In amachine-for sizing hat bats and the like com prising a pair of lower supporting rolls and an upper roll between which bundles of bats are adapted to be rolled, said rolls being substantially parallel, one of said lower rolls and the upper roll being spaced for the admission between and the ejection of bundles from the rolls, means to rotate the upper surface of the lower. spaced roll away from the otherlower roll and roll speed change means to raise a bundle of bats from said other lower roll to the upper surface of the lower spaced still driven roll, whereby to discharge a bundle of bats from the rolls.

6. The machine of claim 5 in which the lower spaced roll has peripherally spaced projections thereon.

7. In a machine for sizing hat bats and the like comprising a plurality of spaced substantially parallel rolls mounted for rotation in the machine and between which bundles of bats are adapted to he supported and rolled,

a pair of said rolls being spaced for the ejection of bundles.

tween the rolls and to initiate the action of said roll speedcliange means a' selected time after actuation of the detecting means;

9. The machine of claim 7 including a light source and photo-cell at opposite ends of the space betweenthe rolls positioned for interception of the light beam from the source passing to the photo-cell by a bundle of bats when placed between the rolls to initiate the action of said roll speed changemeans a selected time after the interception of the light beam.

10. Themachineof claim 7'including means to vary thespacing between certain of therolls to vary the pressure'on the bundles.

ll. In a machine for sizing hat bats and the like commounted for'rotation in the machine and between which r 5 bundles of bats are adapted to be supported and rolled, a pair of said rolls being spaced for the ejection of bundles of batsfrom between the plurality of rolls, means to rotate the rolls in a common direction at relative speeds to maintain a bundle of bats between the rolls and roll speed change means to change the .speed of one of said pair of rolls to lift a bundle of bats from between the rolls.

and eject it from the machine.

12. In a machine for sizing hat bats and the like comprising a plurality of spaced rolls between which bundles of bats are adapted to be supported and rolled, two of said rolls being positioned to support the bundle of bats, a pair of said rolls being spaced for the forceful ejection of bundles of bats from between the plurality of rolls, means to rotate at least one of the rolls, all of the rolls being adapted to rotate in a common direction while a bundle/of bats is therebetween, means to change the relative speed of one said pair of the rolls to remove a bundle of bats from between the rolls and eject it from the machine.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

